Chapter 23

As I was talking with Leonora while alchemizing, Erika returned.

“I’m back!”

Erika took her seat.

“Welcome back, Erika.”

“Welcome back. How was it?”

“Hmm, I have a bit of a consultation. It’s an emergency request.”

Huh?

“Emergency? Again?”

“It seems this time it’s really urgent. They need 50 mana potions.”

Mana potions are potions that restore magic power.

They are more expensive than regular potions.

“Why would the government order mana potions? I can understand if it’s the military or the Mage Guild, but the government doesn’t need them, right?”

“Actually, it seems there’s a joint training exercise between this town’s magic school and the neighboring town’s magic school, and they need mana potions for it. However, due to a communication error, they didn’t place the order, so they’re making an emergency request now.”

That’s a terrible mistake.

“Indeed, it’s urgent. What’s the deadline?”

“Preferably within 10 days, but at the latest, within 20 days.”

“What about the reward?”

“If it’s 20 days, it’s 2 million el for 50 potions. If it’s 10 days, they’ll increase it to 3 million el. Also, the quality only needs to be E-rank.”

That’s high...

The market price for an E-rank mana potion is about 20,000 el per potion, so 50 potions would be 1 million el.

It’s double the price for 20 days, and even more if we shorten the deadline.

“Mana potions... Considering the current state of our branch, we should probably take it... What do you think?”

“I think it’s a good idea. We can make mana potions.”

Leonora is good at making potions, after all.

“By the way... there’s actually a precaution.”

Erika hesitantly said.

“What is it?”

“Actually, this request was initially given to civilians. They needed 300 mana potions.”

They went to civilians before our branch.

Thinking about it, 50 mana potions for a joint training exercise with hundreds of students is quite few.

“Relying on civilians more than our branch... That’s sad. So, are the 50 potions a favor?”

“No, apparently the civilians could only supply 250 potions.”

Huh?

“Why?”

“It seems one of the ingredients for mana potions, magic grass, is no longer available in the market.”

“Gone? Ah... So it ran out with 250 potions.”

“Yes. It doesn’t seem like the next shipment will arrive in time.”

So, even if we go to the market now, we won’t find the crucial ingredient.

“I see... Civilians act for profit. Even if we ask adventurers to gather the ingredients, it would be too expensive and not worth it within the deadline.”

“I think so. That’s why they’re in trouble and are now asking us.”

Indeed, we’re not a for-profit organization, but we still want to avoid a deficit.

“Then why didn’t they come to us first? They probably didn’t extract mana efficiently and didn’t do a good job, right? Otherwise, 250 E-rank mana potions wouldn’t have depleted the market. That’s why low-quality civilians are...”

They’re causing trouble.

“Sir Sieg, your words...”

Helen reminds me.

“Right... Well, what should we do?”

I ask the two of them.

“I don’t mind... I’ve never made mana potions before.”

“Without the ingredients, there’s nothing we can do. We don’t have to do it at a loss, so we can either decline or ask for a higher price and make an emergency gathering request to adventurers.”

That’s the sure way...

“The Adventurer’s Guild will overcharge, though.”

They’ll definitely see our desperation and ask for a high reward.

“Right. That’s why the government came to us. I think it’s fine to decline.”

I also think it’s fine to decline.

However, this is also an opportunity.

“Accepting it will improve our branch’s reputation, which has been declining...”

The fact that such an urgent and high-reward request goes to civilians first shows how bad our reputation is.

I want to improve it, even a little.

“I understand, but a deficit is still a problem, right?”

“You’re right. A deficit is bad. However, it’s uncertain if the government will increase the reward. They’ve already used a significant portion of their budget by going to civilians first.”

That’s true...

“Let’s try to avoid a deficit with the current reward.”

“Huh? Is that possible?”

“How?”

The two of them ask.

“We can go and gather the ingredients ourselves.”

“Huh? Go to the forest? There are monsters there.”

“I can’t fight, you know? I can only run 50 meters in 15 seconds.”

“Oh, I can do it in 12 seconds.”

Wow...

These guys are as bad at sports as they look.

Well, not just alchemists, but mages in general are like that.

“We don’t need to go that deep for magic grass. Don’t worry. I’m a 5th-class mage.”

“Oh! That’s right!”

“You’re amazing. We can rely on you.”

Haha.

I have zero combat experience, though.

“Can you gather the ingredients?”

“We learned in school.”

“I also learned. But I’ve never done it in the forest.”

Neither have I.

It was a grassland near the capital.

“If the quality only needs to be E-rank, we don’t need to be that precise. Let’s do it.”

““Okay!””

Well, we’ll manage somehow.

“Erika, tell Rubeurt that we’ll accept the request.”

“Got it. I’ll go home and prepare.”

“Me too.”

Well, preparation is necessary.

“Alright. Come back when you’re ready. Take your time.”

“Got it!”

“I’ll hurry.”

They said and stood up, going down the stairs.

“I’ve become more considerate.”

Before, I would have said to be ready in five minutes.

“That’s wonderful. The considerate Sir Sieg has no blind spots.”

Of course!

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